On July 12, a U.S. airstrike in northwest Syria killed the leader of ISIS in Syria, Maher al Agal, and seriously injured another senior leader. The strike is the latest blow against ISIS, which is under significant pressure from U.S., Iraqi, Syrian, and Turkish counterterrorism operations. At least five top leaders have been captured or killed since October 2021, whittling away at the core cadre.
Katherine Zimmerman is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and adviser to AEI’s Critical Threats Project. Follow her on Twitter @KatieZimmerman.
